


Iridescent

by CloversDreams



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Fantasy AU, Mermaid!Nefertari, Ozy dressed as a sailor, love at first sight is real, no grails or wars, these two are proof, youre welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29786271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: Ozymandias didn’t even think, his body simply acted. He jumped over the side of the boat and into the water in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of who or what was over there. He’d instinctively squeezed his eyes shut right before his head was submerged. When he finally opened them again all he saw was pink. Not just any pink. Soft, pure, unapologetically iridescent pink scales.They quickly darted from his view, leaving him only a moment to compute that it was a tail he’d been staring at. Then the most incredible thing happened. A face appeared right in front of him. Not just any face, but a woman’s face. The loveliest one he’d ever seen. With her soft, flawless features and flowing hair there was no question this was no mere human he was looking at.If those things and the tail weren’t enough to convince him then her eyes surely were. They were that same captivating pink as her scales and also seemed to have the iridescent shimmer to them. He’d never before seen such alluring eyes. Ozymandias’ heart skipped a beat.  If love were a color, he’d be staring directly into it right now.
Relationships: Nefertari/Ozymandias | Rider
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Iridescent

Ozymandias wasn’t crazy. He knew that for a fact. Last week’s party on his yacht was a good time as usual. That much was a given since any party he hosted would be incredible. The theme had been sailing and everyone showed up dressed in sailor outfits, it was a sight to behold. His personal outfit was trimmed in gold, naturally. It was the color that suited him best as it was rivaled only by the sun itself. But that was neither here nor there.

Admittedly, Ozymandias had himself quite a few drinks on the afternoon in question. It was a party, after all. What better time to let loose a little? However, that had nothing to do with this. He wasn’t too inebriated that afternoon to understand that he’d seen… something. He’d been in the middle of a conversation with a guest when this thing in question caught his eye. It swam right by his yacht, just deep enough beneath the ocean’s surface to impede his vision.

What it was he couldn’t really say, but he hadn’t been able to get it off his mind since. The size of it alone was incredible. Ozymandias was a man that trusted his instinct. It told him that was no ordinary fish or playful dolphin. He’d lost sleep because his mind refused to relax when he laid down. He could hire a crew to go out and catch it, he certainly had the resources. That idea didn’t sit right with him.

If anyone discovered a new species it should be him after all. Although maybe it wasn’t a new species. Maybe it was an ancient one. That’d also warrant it being better as his discovery. So here he was, a week later, out on the same waters in search of something he couldn’t even describe if asked. That was why he was alone. No one else would understand. Only he could find the answers he sought.

Ozymandias didn’t have access to his yacht right now, it was being cleaned. Or repaired. Come to think of it, he didn’t really know. Only that he couldn’t use it. Not that he’d let something like that stop him. In this case using one of his smaller boats made a whole lot more sense. He could discreetly return to the same spot and begin his search. Not to mention it left him a lot closer to the water so he’d probably be able to see a bit better.

He couldn’t say what exactly it was that drove him to put on the same sailor outfit he’d been wearing that day. Maybe it was an attempt to recreate the scene as best he could, or perhaps he’d lost more sleep than he even realized. Either way he was sure he looked ridiculous in his outfit and tiny boat. And it didn’t matter! He was a man on a mission, after all.

Once he reached the location where the party had been, he turned off the engine. He was just offshore of a small island. Though it was so tiny he wasn’t sure it could be called more than a big bunch of rocks. The boat rocked gently with the waves beneath it. It sure was a lot quieter than it had been last time he was here. That made sense as he was alone and there wasn’t any alcohol involved.

Ozymandias looked over the side of the boat at the sparkling water beneath. It was calm, beautiful, and still threatening in its own way. He stared at it for a while, willing something incredible to happen. Nothing did. So Ozymandias moved to the other side and did the same.

After staring at a whole lot of nothing for far too long he finally gave in and turned on the boat’s radio. At least that’d make time seem like it was going a bit faster. Ozymandias continued to wait. It certainly beat sitting at home and thinking about exactly this. He was a man of action. There was no way he’d be bested by some unknown blur. Hours went by as he watched the water diligently.

At least he had snacks. He pat himself on the back for thinking ahead so he was prepared. Ozymandias sat down and leaned against the side of the boat. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the scent of the sea. At least the breeze was nice. As soon as he had the thought a surprisingly strong gust of wind hit him in the face. Ozymandias barely had a chance to blink before he realized that his hat was blown right off his head. He turned and grabbed for it but was a split second too late and it eluded his grasp.

He leaned over the side of the boat to try and grab the hat, but the stubborn thing floated just past where his fingers could reach. Damn. That was designer. Now his outfit was incomplete. He couldn’t allow this injustice. Ozymandias turned around to look for something he could use to fish it out of the water. Anything that’d extend his reach would do.

When he turned back around again Ozymandias froze where he stood. His hat which was just in the process of floating away was now perched on the side of the boat. He quickly looked all around himself and saw the same nothing that he’d been staring at for hours. Well that didn’t make sense. He thought about it for a second then finally gave the hat a little push. Just enough for it to fall into the water again.

He held his breath as he waited. A moment passed. Then another. Finally, he saw the impossible. His eyes widened at the sight of his hat slowly being lifted back up until it was placed back onto the side of the boat gently. Then the arm which held it disappeared back downward.

Ozymandias didn’t even think, his body simply acted. He jumped over the side of the boat and into the water in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of who or what was over there. He’d instinctively squeezed his eyes shut right before his head was submerged. When he finally opened them again all he saw was pink. Not just any pink. Soft, pure, unapologetically iridescent pink scales.

They quickly darted from his view, leaving him only a moment to compute that it was a tail he’d been staring at. Then the most incredible thing happened. A face appeared right in front of him. Not just any face, but a woman’s face. The loveliest one he’d ever seen. With her soft, flawless features and flowing hair there was no question this was no mere human he was looking at.

If those things and the tail weren’t enough to convince him then her eyes surely were. They were that same captivating pink as her scales and also seemed to have the iridescent shimmer to them. He’d never before seen such alluring eyes. Ozymandias’ heart skipped a beat. If love were a color, he’d be staring directly into it right now. She leaned into his personal space curiously and he gasped without thinking.

Instantly, he was given the harsh reminder that he was underwater and unable to do something like that as he were on land. He began to choke and struggled to find the surface. His body went into panic mode and he attempted to swim upwards, but it seemed like he just couldn’t get there. How far had he allowed himself to sink? Was this really how he was fated to die? No way, he was far too stubborn for that. He’d find a way out of this mess no matter what.

Ozymandias let out a silent yelp when an arm wrapped around his waist and yanked him through the water. He probably should’ve struggled but he was suddenly so tired. The ocean began to darken around him. How long had he been down there? He just needed to take a quick nap. Everything would be fine after that.

Ozymandias’ eyes snapped open and he immediately started to cough up water. He desperately tried to take a breath but all he could do was wait until he finally cleared his airway. When that was all said and done he rolled onto his side and took deep breaths. He survived. Of course he did. He dug his fingers into the soft ground beneath him. All right. Not on his boat. So where was he?

He pushed himself upright and looked around. He could see his boat not too far away. Ah, this was the little island. The question he needed to answer now was how the heck had he gotten from over there to here? It was then that everything came flooding back to him in an instant.

Ozymandias’ eyes widened and he looked around. He had to hold back a surprised yelp when he turned to the right and saw a beautiful face. Not just face, no. From her eyes to the tip of her tail, everything about her was beautiful. Mermaid. He was sitting on a beach with a mermaid. His mouth fell open and he immediately shut it again. He could count the number of times he’d been left speechless in his life on one hand. This was far from what he’d expected to find. All he could do was blink.

“Are you all right?” The mermaid asked, her sweet voice laced with concern.

“I can understand you!” Ozymandias exclaimed a bit louder than he meant to. It was just shock after incredible shock right now.

A shy smile spread across the mermaid’s face and she replied, “I’ve spent a lot of time watching humans. I learned your language that way. Do I have weird pronunciation?”

“No! It’s perfect! You’re perfect!” Ozymandias immediately yelled. He watched the adorable way she scrunched her face as she held back a giggle and was sure he’d died earlier. This was heaven. Had to be.

“Are you hurt mister…?” She pursed her lips together and her brow furrowed.

“Ozymandias,” he quickly said, “my close personal friends call me Ramesses.”

“Ohh.” She tilted her head and blinked at him. “Which one should I use?”

“The latter, I hope!” Ozymandias said a bit overenthusiastically.

The mermaid’s whole face lit up with her smile. She curled her fingers in front of her mouth then laughed softly. Ozymandias couldn’t believe his ears. Never before had a sound made him blush but this one gave him no choice. The dainty laugh made his chest fill with warmth and his pulse start to race. Even as the tips of his ears burned with his embarrassment, he couldn’t do anything but stare in total awe. He’d never been a believer in love at first sight. He was wrong. It existed, surely as this dazzling specimen did.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, which Ozymandias now noticed was pointed– _cute_ – and continued to smile as she hummed, “I’m Nefertari.”

“That’s lovely. It suits you." Ozymandias said mostly to himself. Her smile widened and he swore time slowed to a crawl.

Ozymandias should’ve been miserable. He knew this. He’d practically drowned himself a moment ago and his clothes were still soaking wet. The breeze upon him would make a lesser man naught but a human popsicle. However, he didn’t feel it. All he knew was that Nefertari’s smile warmed his very core. He wasn’t miserable nor upset. If anything, Ozymandias was elated. He certainly proved that he wasn’t crazy and even more than that he met the most striking creature he’d ever seen.

Even better was the fact that she actually seemed interested in sticking around and having a conversation. Good. That was Ozymandias’ specialty. He’d been told more than once that he had the charisma of a king. Hopefully that rang true even when chatting with another species. What should he talk about first? Weather? Current events? Did mermaids care about human current events? Maybe he should ask her opinion on saltwater versus freshwater.

“I like your, um…” Nefertari scrunched her face as she tried to remember the proper word. She pointed at him and finally said, “shiny things.”

“My huh?” Ozymandias looked down at where she was pointing. “Oh, my jewelry. Yes, being an entrepreneur allows me to enjoy the finer things in life.”

“An…tro… what?” She blinked curiously.

“It just means that I’m my own boss.” Ozymandias’ gaze traveled over her matching pearl necklace and bracelet. They were held together in a fashion he’d never seen before. He found himself intrigued. “On the subject though, your jewelry isn’t gold but it’s rather stunning in its own right. Did you make it yourself?”

“Yes, I did,” Nefertari beamed. She held up her wrist so he could get a closer look at the bracelet she wore. “I just adore pearls. Aren’t they lovely?”

“I’m gaining a newfound appreciation for them as we speak,” Ozymandias hummed. He smiled warmly when she chuckled to herself. “Would you be able to explain how you make them?”

Her eyes lit up and she gasped, “Really! Sure!”

Ozymandias was enthralled while she talked about the process of finding the pearls then threading them into jewelry. He hung on her every word. It warmed his core to watch how excited she was to talk about this particular topic. He could do so all day long, sustained only by the sweet smile upon her face.

Eventually she stopped talking about herself and started to ask him all sorts of questions. He was happy to answer them in as much detail as he could. She was so curious, so fascinated by all the differences between human and mer culture. Ozymandias had to admit he was as well.

Talking with Nefertari came so naturally. He didn’t have to make an effort to keep the conversation going, and she was positively engrossed with his stories. Even ones about the most boring, everyday situation seemed wondrous to her. Before he knew it multiple hours had passed. The position of the sun in the sky as well as the hunger pain in his belly said as much. Ozymandias could deal with something as trivial as hunger if it meant spending a little more time with this amazing being.

It was when he heard a foghorn and looked up to see a ship approaching that he knew their time was finally up. Ozymandias didn’t know how close to this island they’d sail but he refused to risk Nefertari being spotted. Unfortunate as it was, there was no way to know if someone aboard that ship had ill intentions. That meant their rendezvous was over. It seemed that the mermaid came to a similar conclusion all on her own.

“I suppose it’s time for me to leave,” Nefertari sighed. There was a somber expression on her face that didn’t suit her in the slightest.

Ozymandias wasn’t having that. A beauty as radiant as this should always be made to smile, nothing else was acceptable. So he asked the loudest question in his mind, “Would it be possible… Can I see you again?”

Nefertari’s eyes widened and her cheeks turned the sweetest shade of pink. She looked down at her wrist and carefully removed one of the pearls from her bracelet. She offered it to Ozymandias, who accepted without question. Her hand stayed atop the pearl in his palm as she said, “Next time you wish to see me just give this a kiss then hold it underwater.” She pulled her hand away and tucked her hair behind her ear. “As long as your feelings are strong enough, I’ll hear your call through the sea.”

Ozymandias’ hand closed around the pearl and he grinned as he declared, “That’s good news! No one could possibly have stronger feelings than me!”

Nefertari smiled shyly. She tilted her head and hummed, “Then I suppose I’ll see you soon. Don’t go jumping out of anymore boats though, all right?”

“That was a one-time thing, I assure you.” Ozymandias replied with an amused huff.

“Good.”

He waved goodbye as Nefertari slid back to the water. When out far enough she dove under so that only her tail was visible. She used that to splash water in his direction before finally swimming away. Ozymandias squeezed one eye shut and turned his head. After that he continued to stare at the ocean for quite some time.

What a day he ended up having. He needed to vague post about it on social media as soon as possible. Wait. Ozymandias patted the back of his pants. Shit. His phone was in his pocket when he jumped off the boat without a thought.

All right. New plan. Step one: get home and changed. Step two: get a new phone. Ozymandias held up the pearl in his hand and admired the way it shined as it caught a ray of sunshine. A crooked smile spread across his face. Step three: stop off at a jewelry maker. Rest? Who had the time when there was so much to be done?

Ozymandias took a single step forward then paused. He frowned at his boat which was still where he’d left it earlier. Right. He needed to get back there first and foremost. So, reordering his mental list a bit, step one was to use his current adrenaline rush to swim back to the boat. Then he could work on the others. He cracked his neck side to side then stretched. Well, there was no time like the present.

*

Before Ozymandias knew it, two months came and went in the blink of an eye. That was nearly sixty days since he’d met Nefertari and his whole world changed. It wasn’t just the existence of merpeople that had him shaken to his very core, but the fact that the one he happened to meet was the epitome of perfection. She was as sweet as she was lovely as well as kind and her sense of humor was simply impeccable.

As if all of that wasn’t amazing enough, she’d also made good on her promise to return if he wished to meet again. Before he knew it, they had a bit of a routine of seeing one another every few days. The little island that no one ever visited became their special place. Every time he stepped foot upon it, he found himself nearly overwhelmed with anticipation. Seeing Nefertari was the highlight of any day.

Ozymandias knelt in the sand and removed the necklace from around his neck. He brought the pearl, which now sat in a gold setting, to his lips and gave it a quick kiss. Then he reached over to where the water met the shore and held it underneath.

Ozymandias concentrated on just how much he wanted to see Nefertari. With her sweet smile and angelic laugh. The pearl in his palm heated up in response. It glowed faintly for about ten seconds then returned to being an ordinary necklace. Ozymandias removed it from the water and fastened it around his neck once again.

He barely had a chance to sit back against his hands before a familiar pink tail emerged from the water. Ozymandias put his hand up to shield his eyes just in time to be splashed. The tail disappeared underwater then Nefertari’s smiling face emerged. Ozymandias chuckled and waited for her to climb onto the sand with him.

“That was your fastest response yet,” Ozymandias hummed, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were waiting for me.”

“I was looking forward to seeing you!” Nefertari chirped.

Ozymandias’ chest filled with warmth. It was something that happened a lot these days. Always because of something Nefertari said or did. If she were an ordinary woman, he would’ve asked her out ages ago. The more time they spent together the harder he fell for her charms.

However, he had no idea how to even approach the subject when it came to a merperson. Did they even have a concept of dating like humans did? Ozymandias still hadn’t found the chance to bring that subject up though they saw one another so often these days. It was all right. As long as she was happy with the way things were, he was content.

Today Nefertari had a whole story to tell about how she’d explored a sunken ship recently. Her eyes sparkled with her excitement as she talked about all the wonderous and strange objects she found. Normally, Ozymandias could listen to her talk for hours on end. Today, though, he was a bit distracted.

Nefertari’s tail was resting in a particularly bright patch of sunlight and the iridescent shimmer of her scales was enthralling. Ozymandias reached out to touch them but regained enough of his composure to pause halfway. He looked at her face to find that she’d stopped talking to watch what he was doing. Ozymandias blinked then asked, “May I…?”

“Mhm. Go ahead.” Nefertari nodded.

“So beautiful.” Ozymandias didn’t know if he was just thinking out loud or what but the moment his fingers touched the cool scales he felt like he’d fallen into another dimension. To be able to touch such an amazing being had to be a feat worthy of a king. Incredible. He rested his palm on the base of the lovely tail then slid it upwards slowly, following the curve of her hip before finally bringing it to a halt.

Nefertari wriggled then laughed. “It tickles!”

Ozymandias looked up at the sound of her alluring laughter. Once again he found himself completely awestruck by her smile. He honestly couldn’t believe such a beautiful creature existed in the world. He couldn’t be sure just how long he stared, but he was finally knocked out of his daze when he felt a hand upon his cheek.

He looked over at Nefertari to find that she was closer than he’d expected. When had that happened? And what was that look in her eyes? He knew that he should say something, but he was too busy staring at the lovely blush in her cheeks. Ozymandias’ eyes widened when Nefertari leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

His shock was momentary, of course, and his eyes fell shut as he lost himself to the incredible feeling. No kiss before this had ever sent a shock through him that made his whole-body tingle like this. It was completely new territory for him, and he couldn’t get enough. This _was_ heaven. His own personal slice of bliss.

When Nefertari finally pulled away her whole face was red. She smiled shyly and asked, “Was that… all right?”

“It was perfect!” Ozymandias exclaimed. He couldn’t believe she’d think it was anything but. He tackle-hugged her and they rolled on the sand together. The two of them ended up on their backs chuckling softly. They turned their heads towards one another, smiled, then rolled onto their sides to face each other.

Ozymandias tucked a stray strand of her long hair behind her ear then let his hand rest upon her cheek. The inviting way Nefertari chewed on her bottom lip and her gaze fell to his mouth was almost too much. Ozymandias could take a hint as loud as that. He placed a chaste kiss upon her lips only to have her surge forward to deepen it. A smile spread across his face. He understood the eagerness.

Ozymandias broke the kiss then hugged her and sighed dreamily. “Ah, Nefertari, you shine brighter than the sun. It leaves me in total awe.” He pulled away from the hug so he could look into her eyes. “Every time you smile in my direction, I fall even harder for you.”

Nefertari placed her hand atop the pearl dangling from the gold chain around his neck and hummed, “I feel the same way, Ramesses.”

Ozymandias took her hand in his and rubbed the back of it. “Truly? You’re not opposed to feeling such a thing for a human like myself?”

“Actually, human and merperson relationships aren’t as uncommon as you might think,” Nefertari replied matter-of-factly. Her face scrunched with her smile as she added, “A good friend of mine is engaged to a human.”

“Is that so?” Ozymandias blinked in surprise. That was incredible information. If they were engaged that meant the concept wasn’t foreign to mers after all. Good to know. He absolutely wanted to hear more about this friend and their human fiancé but that was a conversation for another time. Right now, there was something much more important that he needed to know. He squeezed her hand then asked, “Does that mean you’d do me the honor of considering–”

“Yes!” Nefertari interjected.

“Yes as in you’ll consider–”

“Yes as in I’ll be yours as long as you’ll also be mine,” Nefertari cut him off once again. Her eyes shined with a brightness that rivaled the smile upon her face.

“Beautiful Nefertari, light of my life,” Ozymandias paused to smile back at her. He rubbed their noses together then hummed, “I was yours from the very first moment our eyes met.”

“Ramesses!” Nefertari exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I’m so happy!”

“That makes two of us,” Ozymandias hummed. He kissed her cheek then returned the embrace, a bit overwhelmed that a simple hug could feel so _right_. After a moment to bask in the feeling he pulled away just enough to look at her face as he said, “I’ve got one more surprise.”

Ozymandias sat upright and looked around. Nefertari quickly followed suit then chirped, “What is it!”

He put his arm around her to rest his hand upon her shoulder. Ozymandias leaned in close and motioned with his free hand as he asked, “Do you see that house over there?”

“The one with the gold roof?” Nefertari asked.

“Yes, exactly.” Ozymandias nodded. “It’s mine. I bought it.”

“Oh, wow, that’s amazing!” Nefertari chirped. “It has such a beautiful view of the sea!”

“Indeed it does, but that’s not all.” Ozymandias explained. “I had it renovated to include a special tunnel that leads to a pool in the middle of the living room. That will allow you to come and go as you please.”

“Really!” Nefertari gasped.

“Really,” He replied with a warm smile. Ozymandias pressed his forehead against hers and shut his eyes then added, “No more sporadic visits. I want you to be a constant part of my life.”

“Ramesses…” She kissed him sweetly, her lips lingering against his for an extra second.

He opened his eyes to find her still very close. Ozymandias brushed his knuckles down her cheek and asked, “Would you like to go see it?”

Nefertari’s eyes lit up and she exclaimed, “Can we!”

“Of course!” Ozymandias laughed. He was just as excited as her to give a tour of the home, if not more so. They’d make a myriad of wonderful new memories together in that house and he absolutely couldn’t wait to get started.

**Author's Note:**

> Friend: -draws one (1) sketch of mermaid Nefertari and sailor Ozy-  
> My brain: if you do not write this youll never know peace again
> 
> Is it _really_ love if doesn’t remodel his home to make it accessible and welcoming to your species?
> 
> Picture this: Ozy and Nefe relaxing in their living room pool together watching Netflix. She loves romcoms and he loves watching her react to them.
> 
> I’m just sitting here thinking of Ozy proudly holding his teeny little merbaby in the future and Im just… crying soft tears helP
> 
> Please look at this teeny sailor Ozy that started it alllllll... [ hes just so cute im -yells- ](https://coquirii.tumblr.com/post/643973520210182144/cloversdreams)


End file.
